Myspace Rapist Sentenced to 15 Years

A man has been sentenced to 15 years in state prison for raping three women -- one of whom he met on MySpace and raped at a Newport Beach hotel, the Orange County district attorney's office reported Thursday.

Jason Ara Erpinar, 22, of Yorba Linda, entered a guilty plea on Monday to two felony counts of rape by intoxication and one felony count of forcible rape. Deputy District Attorney Mark Birney said Erpinar accepted a plea bargain from prosecutors just before his case was scheduled to go to trial. At his sentencing Wednesday before Orange County Superior Court Judge James Rogan, two of Erpinar's three victims told the court how the crime had affected their lives.

"It makes me sick to know that you were trying to say this was consensual. Were you deaf to the fact that I said no?," one victim said. "It was rape and you know it, otherwise you wouldn't have pleaded guilty. You hurt me more then you know -- physically, mentally and emotionally."

Another victim said she now has trouble trusting people and is uncomfortable around people she doesn't know.

In March 2008, prosecutors say, Erpinar met a 22-year-old woman on MySpace and drank alcohol with her at two parks in Orange County. Erpinar then drove the woman to a hotel in Newport Beach and raped her. The next morning, the woman awoke with a cracked tooth and scrapes on her face. She reported the incident to police, but a criminal case could not be filed because of a lack of evidence, the district attorney's office said.

In March 2009, Erpinar met an 18-year-old woman—again on MySpace—and invited her to a house party in La Habra. The woman became severely intoxicated at the party and was raped on the floor of a bedroom by Erpinar. She reported the rape to the La Habra Police Department the next day. 

During the investigation, Erpinar's ex-girlfriend told police the two met while in high school and said he physically abused her and raped her when she was 17 years old.

City News Service contributed to this report.